Pacific Coast Watershed Partnership

Pacific Coast Watershed Partnership Restoration Projects, By Agency. Click for larger image (880k pdf)

Background

In March of 1999 the United States Forest Service Leadership Conference highlighted water and watersheds as the issue of the decade. They agreed that focused, integrated efforts would be necessary for successful restoration of watersheds. To implement the concepts, they requested that National Forests and Research Stations throughout the United States submit proposals for large-scale watershed restoration demonstration areas. As a result of that request, proposals from the Siuslaw and Siskiyou National Forests and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area were combined with a proposal from Ducks Unlimited for restoration of Pacific Northwest Coastal Estuaries. This combination of proposals initiated the Pacific Coast Watershed Partnership, which is now one of fifteen Large Scale Watershed Restoration Demonstration Projects sponsored by the Forest Service throughout the United States. Since September of 1999, individuals from many state and federal agencies along with private and volunteer groups have been working together to shape the concept of the Pacific Coast Watershed Partnership. In 2003, Ecotrust was awarded a grant to coordinate the PCWP and to help the partnership accomplish its goals.

Mission

The mission of the Pacific Coast Watershed Partnership (PCWP) is to create a network of intact, naturally functioning watersheds that provide habitat for salmon, migratory birds, and other species. Success will be measured by an increasing capacity of Oregon and Washington communities to restore their coastal and estuarine habitats through leveraged resources and shared knowledge that helps to build healthy ecosystems, diversified economies, and increased employment.

Vision

The PCWP is a diverse partnership working on restoration at a landscape scale across multiple ownership boundaries from the Canadian to the Californian border. It promotes healthy watersheds from ridge top to estuary that sustain local economies. It serves to provide a regional perspective and framework for local restoration efforts, thus engaging a broader base of political and economic support for restoration. The partnership functions as a "learning network" as it links the knowledge and experience gained in one community to other communities in the region.

Goals

Long-term Goals

Identify and protect intact and important habitat within basins, including salmon anchor habitats, migratory bird habitats, and other unique habitats.
Use PCWP projects to demonstrate successful principles of restoration.
Create knowledge and technology transfer mechanisms that benefit local restoration efforts.
Develop watershed restoration strategies that generate opportunities for diverse local economies and support local long-term, living wage jobs.
Create a mechanism for periodic communication at the regional and local scale that ensures the participation of a broad constituency.
Celebrate and market the success of PCWP projects in ways that compel others to participate.
Increase funding for all partner projects by providing a framework for coastal watershed restoration.
Recognize and promote the social, economic, and ecological value of restoration.

Check out the Pacific Coast Watershed Partnership website at www.PacificWatersheds.net

Short-term Goals (2003)

Gather all credible prioritization studies of the Oregon and Washington coastal watersheds and overlay them to identify the top priority basins for protection and restoration. Provide a summary of the criteria and methodology used for each prioritization study.
Communicate a vision that provides a broad scale geographical context for local efforts.
Create a retrospective report that includes an analysis of past successes, lessons learned, and recommendations for the future.
Determine fundraising targets and develop marketing tools to make projects attractive to potential funders (website, marketing booklet).
Develop a strategy for the continued support of the PCWP Coordinator.

Roots of Prosperity is a free publication about the Pacific Coast Watershed Partnership, published February 2005.